News

February 26, 2026, - 1:30 PM (EST)

This winter, many Michigan grape‑growing regions experienced severe and prolonged cold events. Based on field observations and cold‑hardiness models, varying degrees of freeze injury and bud damage are anticipated in certain grape varieties. This webinar is designed to help growers understand how extreme winter conditions affect grapevines and how to make informed management decisions moving into the upcoming growing season.

Topics will include: Key factors influencing grapevine cold hardiness, Winter vine physiology and vineyard responses to extreme cold events, Methods for assessing bud mortality and winter, freeze damage, Practical pruning approaches and vineyard management strategies to support recovery. Participants will gain research‑based guidance to evaluate winter injury, adjust pruning decisions, and plan effective vineyard management strategies for a successful season ahead.

Register Here

Registration is now open for the Michigan Craft Beverage Summit, taking place March 23–25, 2026, in Muskegon, Michigan. This statewide event brings together Michigan’s craft beverage industry—including beer, wine, cider, spirits, growers, suppliers, and industry partners—for education, collaboration, and connection.

The Summit features a strong lineup of educational sessions, industry discussions, and valuable networking opportunities, making it a great venue to stay engaged with colleagues and partners from across the craft beverage community. It’s an excellent opportunity to exchange ideas, explore industry trends, and strengthen relationships across Michigan’s craft beverage sector.

Register Here

Read Full Article: Whole Cluster (1).pdf

February 27, 2026 at Lobdell’s (715 E Front St, Traverse City, MI 49686) in downtown Traverse City.

Parallel 45 Vines and Wines and The Michigan Wine Symposium Committee, Tony Jacobson, Maddie Vint, Kevin Uhl, and Haley Hoogenraad are delighted to announce our new Michigan Wine Symposium. We are expanding the Sparkling Wine Symposium to include red and white wines grown and produced in Michigan. Our expanded series offers a unique opportunity to have your wine evaluated and discussed by your peers to help elevate the quality of wine we are producing across Michigan.

Our first event (Feb. 27) will be focused on Sparkling wine. We will discuss research, a perspective from an important industry voice (outside of production), as well as a chance to reconnect and network with fellow sparkling winemakers from across Michigan.

Please register by February 11 on the P45 event page to confirm your attendance.

Tickets are $75 per person for each event individually. If you plan to attend all three events we are offering a single ticket for $180 to cover all three, a $45 savings.

Register Here

Following last week’s cold event in Northwest Michigan, we published a full update with field observations and variety-specific cold injury risk assessments. The article highlights which cultivars remain well buffered and which may be at higher risk, with practical guidance for post-freeze evaluation and pruning decisions.

Read Full Article Here

March 4–5, 2026
Registration is now open for Pruning School with Simonit & Sirch in Southwest Michigan!

Southwest Michigan Research and Extension Center
Benton Harbor, MI 

$500 | Limited to 16 participants

Join us for an exclusive two-day, hands-on pruning course hosted by the Michigan Grape Society. Day 1 will take place at the Southwest Michigan Research and Extension Center, and Day 2 at Jon Hinkelman’s Farm.

Simonit & Sirch tutors will guide participants through the four core principles of their pruning method applied to Guyot:

• Respecting sap flow

• Controlling branching

• Reducing the number of wounds

• Making small pruning cuts

Lunch will be provided both days. With only 16 spots available, this course is designed for maximum hands-on learning.

Register Here

We will also host a special dinner the evening before:

Houndstooth Dinner with Simonit & Sirch
March 3, 2026 | 5:00–7:00 PM
Houndstooth, Benton Harbor
$130.06

Enjoy a custom menu curated by Chef Cheynne with wines selected by Maxx Eichberg. Open to pruning school attendees and one guest (limit two per party).

Register for Dinner Here

In 2025, petitions were signed by 25% of the wine grape growers in Michigan to pursue development of a proposed Wine Grape Grower PA 232 program in accordance with Public Act 232, Michigan Agricultural Commodities Marketing Act (1965) (see attached PA 232 document). The efforts were initiated by the Michigan Wine Collaborative.   As a result, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) has appointed a Temporary Committee of Wine Grape Growers (see attached Temporary Committee document) to develop a proposed program to be considered by Michigan wine grape growers at future public hearings.  The intent of the program is to establish a grower funded assessment program to support marketing, research and education within the wine grape industry. 

At a recent meeting of the Temporary Committee, some members indicated that communications to develop a proposed PA 232 program for wine grape growers has not been widely received.  This email and the attached information are not meant to solicit support, but to increase awareness of the proposed program and to inform you of the progress to date.

This program will only apply to grapes used for producing wine and does not include grapes grown for juice.

The Temporary Committee and MDARD are interested in reaching all independent wine grape growers and wineries growing wine grapes. I am sending this information to our Straits Area Grape Growers Association membership and those on our mailing list that may be wine grape growers or know someone who is. If you know of anyone in your area growing wine grapes that may not be aware of this PA 232 effort, please consider passing this information on. We want all wine grape growers, large and small, to be aware of the intent to develop a PA 232 wine grape growers' program for their consideration.  In my role on the Temporary Committee I want to make sure we also reach wine grape growers located across The Tip of the Mitt AVA and everywhere in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

In addition, it is a challenge to identify all independent wine grape growers not directly associated with a winery.  Can you, or have them send their contact information including name, address and email address to the Temporary Committee chairperson, Robert Schutzki at schutzki@msu.edu.  Their information will only be used for program information, announcements of public hearings and referendum ballots.

Thank you for your consideration

Tom Jaenicke, Temporary Committee Member

Proposed Wine Grape Grower PA 232 Program

Executive Director, Straits Area Grape Growers Association

2 MICHIGAN PA 232 2.pdf

Michigan Wine Grape Growers PA 232 Program Temp Committee 1-2026.pdf

The MASC program, administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA) using Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) funds, provides eligible specialty crop producers with marketing assistance payments to help them engage in activities that aid in expanding domestic specialty crop markets or in developing new markets for their specialty crops in 2025.

FSA_MASC_FACTSHEET1_24c_0.pdf

In the heart of wine country, propane protects wineries like Fisher Vineyards from grid disruptions.

Read More Here:

LPG0724_025-27Agriculture_Feature.pdf